Ward Rubrecht is a storyteller, journalist, arts organizer, full-time bike commuter, and amateur sailor based in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis. Raised by atheist liberal redneck intellectuals in the backwoods of Wisconsin, he was steeped in the Midwestern folk storytelling revival while tagging along to festivals where his father, August, would perform. He is the 2011, 2012, and 2013 SlamMN! Story Slam champion (happily sharing that title in 2013, due to a tie, with the incomparable Nancy Donoval). He is also the 2014 Twin Cities Moth GrandSlam champion. His slam stories blend the style and techniques of slam poetry with strong narrative and thematic arcs and cover topics such as bird hunting, Orthodox Judaism, and cranky playground equipment.